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Befragungsergebnisse können aufgrund einer Vielzahl von Effekten systematisch verzerrt sein. Gleichzeitig spielen sie häufig eine entscheidende Rolle in der politischen Entscheidungsfindung. Hieraus ergibt sich kein Problem, solange bei der Durchführung und Interpretation von Befragungen effektive Verzerrungsvermeidungsstrategien Anwendung finden. Im Falle der sozialen Erwünschtheit ist dies in der Regel nicht zu erkennen. Werden auf Basis sozial erwünscht verzerrter Befragungsergebnisse Politikentscheidungen getroffen, kommt es zu Fehlallokationen. Der vorliegende Beitrag zeigt anhand von Kontrollskalen für das Beispiel des Nutztierwohls, dass die „Citizen-Consumer-Gap“ auf Soziale Erwünschtheit in bisherigen Verbraucherstudien zurückgeführt werden kann. Deren Ergebnisse sollten demnach nicht vorbehaltlos als Grundlage für unternehmerische und politische Investitionsentscheidungen dienen. Ergänzend werden weitere Ursachen für die nutztierwohlbezogene Citizen-Consumer-Gap analysiert. Survey results may be biased systematically due to a variety of effects. Concomitantly they are often of high relevance for political decision making. This is no problem, as long as effective bias-prevention-methods are applied during the conduction and interpretation of surveys. Regarding social desirability this is usually not the case. Political decisions, based on biased survey results, lead to misallocation. Taking the example of farm animal welfare and using different social desirability scales, the present paper shows, that the citizen-consumer-gap stems from socially desirable response behavior in previous consumer surveys. Therefore, their results should not be taken implicitly as a basis for political or business investment decisions. In addition, further causes of the citizen-consumer-gap concerning farm animal welfare are analyzed.

Vignettes are increasingly used within qualitative studies to research difficult topics, requiring ethical mindfulness and sensitivity from researchers. In this article, I examine the methodological issues of incorporating vignettes within qualitative research, specifically my research exploring South Asian maternal experiences of supporting their children with special education needs and disability (SEND). I present participants with seven vignettes concerning the roles of religion, culture, gender and immigrant history. By presenting the participants' responses, I explore the applicability of two ensuing methodological concerns: 1. Are authentic representations useful and straightforward measure of vignette's effectiveness? 2. Do reduced socially desired responses reflect the effectiveness of a vignette? I consider these questions in detail, as well as how addressing the first issue affected my commitment to the second issue. I conclude that vignettes can be a rich point of reference from which participants can exercise agency and actively construct their own understanding of the issues presented in the vignettes., Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research, Vol 20, No 1 (2019)

The subjective state of health with respect to pain and psyche was surveyed utilizing validated pain questionnaires in patients undergoing special pain therapy and represents the basis for targeted treatment measures.The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible distortion of answers due to social desirability of responses in chronic pain patients.During two survey periods assessing patient satisfaction using both anonymized and personalized questionnaires, the effects arising from socially desirable response patterns were analyzed. The sample consisted of chronic pain patients being treated in an inpatient therapy setting.In both periods of observation no significant impact on the response behavior of chronic pain patients was found in personalized or anonymized questionnaires.The results of the study suggest that the responses of chronic pain patients with respect to their subjective state of health are not influenced by social desirability. Thus, scoring systems such as the German pain questionnaire will not be influenced by social desirability in chronic pain patients and can therefore be used as a part of diagnostics and therapy planning.HINTERGRUND: Das subjektive Befinden in Bezug auf Schmerz und Psyche wird in der speziellen Schmerztherapie über Fragebögen erhoben und dokumentiert und stellt u. a. die Basis für die Behandlungsmaßnahme dar.Die Studie untersucht eine mögliche Antwortverzerrung im Sinne sozialer Erwünschtheit bei chronifizierten Schmerzpatienten.In zwei Erhebungszeiträumen wurde sozial erwünschtes Antwortverhalten anhand von anonymisierten und personalisierten Zufriedenheitsfragebögen sowie teilweise auch Fragebögen zur sozialen Erwünschtheit bei chronifizierten Schmerzpatienten in einem stationären Therapiesetting erprobt.Sowohl für den ersten als auch für den zweiten Erhebungszeitraum konnten keine nennenswerten Unterschiede im Antwortverhalten mit personalisierten und anonymisierten Fragebögen festgestellt werden.Die Messungen konnten zwar nicht direkt anhand des Deutschen Schmerz-Fragebogens durchgeführt werden, dennoch ist davon auszugehen, dass Erkenntnisse aus Fragebögen zum subjektiven Befinden hinsichtlich Schmerz und Psyche sowie zu soziodemografischen Daten von Schmerzpatienten durchaus als fester Bestandteil der Diagnostik und Therapieplanung bei chronischen Schmerzen beibehalten werden können und sollen.

Secular trends refer to increasing or decreasing mental health problems over time. For the German-speaking area, studies on this subject are rare, especially those concerning changes in the magnitude of anxiety. The three available German studies show a mixed pattern regarding an increase in scores of internalizing problems. In two of those studies, anxiety was assessed confounded with features of depression. The goal of the present study was to use a measure that specifically taps anxiety in order to examine a change in anxiety scores over a period of 42 years. We analyzed norm data of a German self-report questionnaire of anxiety (AFS; Wieczerkowski et al., 1974, 2016) that measures test anxiety (subscale "Prüfungsangst"), manifest anxiety (subscale "Manifeste Angst"), school reluctance (subscale "Schulunlust"), as well as social desirability (subscale "Soziale Erwünschtheit"). The norm sample of 1974 consisted of 2,374 children and adolescents (49% girls, aged 9-17) and the sample of 2016 comprised 2,267 children and adolescents (50% girls, aged 9-17). Results show that the mean scales scores on test anxiety and manifest anxiety are significantly lower in the 2016 sample than in the 1974 sample. However, effect sizes are small in test anxiety (d = 24) and negligible in manifest anxiety (d = .09). Interestingly, children and adolescents in the 2016 sample scored significantly higher on school reluctance and social desirability. Here the difference reached a small-to-medium (school reluctance; d = -.39) and a medium effect (social desirability, d = -.45). Thus, children and adolescents reported, on one hand, that they have less test anxiety; on the other hand, they dislike school more and tend more to present themselves in a positive manner. In absolute numbers, the discrepancies are relatively small: On average, the ratings in test anxiety are about one point lower, and the ratings in school reluctance as well as in social desirability are about one point higher. Over the period of 42 years, no or only a slight decrease in the anxiety scores can be found. In light of the growing aspiration toward achieving better grades seen over the past decades, we originally expected that children and adolescents in the 2016 sample would score higher in test anxiety than the participants in the 1974 sample. The contradictory result could be explained by the increase in school reluctance and social desirability. Children and adolescents of 2016 may compensate for higher expectations that usually result in higher anxiety with higher school displeasure and social desirability. Säkulare Trends bezeichnen Zu- oder Abnahmen von psychischer Symptomatik über die Zeit. Für den deutschsprachigen Raum liegen kaum Befunde darüber vor, ob sich Verhaltensauffälligkeiten bei Kindern und Jugendlichen in der Schwere über Geburtskohorten hinweg verändern. In der vorliegenden Studie wurden Selbsteinschätzungen von Kindern und Jugendlichen im Angstfragebogen für Schüler (AFS; Wieczerkowski et al., 1974, 2016) aus den Jahren 1974 und 2016 analysiert, um herauszustellen, ob sich die Ausprägungen auf den Skalen „Prüfungsangst“, „Manifeste Angst“, „Schulunlust“ und „Soziale Erwünschtheit“ unterscheiden. Als Datengrundlage dienten die Normstichprobe von 1974 (N = 2374, 9 – 17 Jahre) und von 2016 (N = 2267, 9 – 17 Jahre). Die Analyse der Skalenmittelwerte wies eine leichte Abnahme der Werte auf der Skala „Prüfungsangst“ und eine geringe bis mittelstarke Zunahme auf den Skalen „Schulunlust“ und „Soziale Erwünschtheit“ nach. Über den Zeitraum von 42 Jahren lassen sich keine oder nur leichte Veränderungen in den Angstwerten finden

Olfactory Reference Disorder is a little explored and widely unknown phenomenon, even research has shown more interest in it during the last years. This review summarizes the existing literature and illustrates its findings with a case history. The databases PubMed, PsychNet, PsychPub, Hogrefe EContent and the Cochrane Library (CENTRAL) were searched for keywords. The identified literature shows that there is a big lack of well-designed studies concerning ORS, in all areas of its nosology. The suffering of persons with ORS, however, is really incriminating.

Im vorliegenden Beitrag werden die Ergebnisse einer in dieser Zeitschrift erschienen Studie von Skarbek-Kozietulska, Preisendörfer & Wolter (2012) über die Validität der Antworten straffällig gewordener Befragter aufgegriffen. Die Autoren stellten einen negativen Effekt der Antwortlatenz fest, demzufolge spät Antwortende eher dazu neigen, ihre Straftaten zu leugnen. Die Gründe hierfür vermuten die Autoren in den Eigenheiten der TDM (tailored design method), speziell in wiederholten Nachfassaktionen. Wir untersuchen im Rahmen eines Methodenexperimentes, ob ebenfalls monetäre Anreize als weiterer zentraler Bestandteil der TDM diesen negativen Latenzeffekt für die Antwortbereitschaft verursachen können. Die These, dass der Zusammenhang von Latenz und Validität selbstberichteter Delinquenz über monetäre Anreize moderiert wird, wird dabei empirisch widerlegt., In this contribution the findings of a recent study published in this journal by Skarbek-Kozietulska, Preisendörfer and Wolter (2012) on the validity of answers supplied by delinquent respondents are further investigated. Skarbek-Kozietulska et al. found a negative latency effect suggesting that, in particular, late respondents deny their delinquent behavior. They reasoned that the negative latency effect could be correlated with certain characteristics of the tailored design method (TDM) without themselves being able to offer empirical support for this contention. In an analysis of experimental data we try to clarify whether monetary incentives as a further element of TDM could also be a significant cause for the negative latency effect. On the basis of our data, such an explanation can be rejected.

Research on the quality of pain management is often based on self-reported data pertaining to internal regulations provided by employees. However, data examining the correctness of the information given are rare. The project "Pain-Free Hospital" facilitated such an analysis and compared the answers provided by staff members with currently existing regulations.In the course of the project (2004-2006) data on internal pain-related therapy plans, pain management-related regulations as well as the level of knowledge of 3421 nurses, 1757 physicians (825 conservative ward physicians, 728 surgeons and 526 anesthesiologists) from a total of 19 hospitals were collected and examined prior to and after the implementation of a specific training intervention. The congruence of the answers given was measured.After training 16 surgical wards (previously 12) and 13 conservative wards (previously 2) had standardized therapy plans. Regulations existed in 13 conservative (previously 12) and 16 surgical wards (previously 12). In those hospitals with standardized therapy plans, a significantly higher level of knowledge was found among staff members after the intervention (p 0.05), especially on surgical wards. In hospitals without therapy plans and regulations there were significantly more incongruent answers (p 0.05). In comparison to colleagues from conservative wards, surgical nurses and physicians provided significantly more incongruent answers.Therapy plans and pain management-related regulations are known in hospitals after a systematic training. Data suggest that hospitals without regulations show a trend towards social desirability.

"Im Rahmen des vorliegenden Beitrags wird dargestellt, wie sich die Erwerbstätigkeit im Rentenalter in Deutschland und Österreich im Verlauf der letzten Dekade entwickelt hat und welche Bestände derzeit zu konstatieren sind. Dabei soll die Frage beantwortet werden, ob bzw. inwiefern das Phänomen als Problem zu bewerten ist. Hierzu werden die Erwerbstätigkeit im Rentenalter vor dem Hintergrund des gerontologischen und rentenrechtlichen Forschungsstandes verortet, die relevanten Hinzuverdienstregelungen skizziert, das Phänomen empirisch auf Basis des European Labour Force Survey umrissen, und (potenzielle) Motive sowie Einflussfaktoren benannt. Abschließend wird plausibilisiert, wie sich die derzeitige Entwicklung bewerten lässt und welche mit der Zunahme der Erwerbstätigkeit im Rentenalter verbundenen sozialpolitischen Herausforderungen in Zukunft zu bewältigen sein werden." (Autorenreferat) "The article focuses on paid work beyond retirement age in Germany and Austria. The central question is, if the increasing growth of paid work beyond retirement age has to be rated as a problem. To respond to that question, the most important reforms of the pension systems in Austria and Germany are outlined and the arrangements that shape the additional income whilst receiving a pension are illustrated. Thereafter, empirical relevance of the phenomena is shown by drafting the distribution of working retirees on the basis of the European Labour Force Survey. Afterwards, the (potential) motives and influencing factors are shown. In a final conclusion the central findings are evaluated, especially in matters of future socio-political challenges that result from paid work beyond retirement age in Germany and Austria." (author's abstract)

Der vorliegende Beitrag geht der Frage nach, wie das Ausmaß von Schwarzarbeit in Deutschland im Rahmen von Befragungen der allgemeinen Bevölkerung möglichst valide geschätzt werden kann. In einem experimentellen Design wird die konventionelle direkte Befragungstechnik mit zwei Spezialtechniken, der Randomized-Response- Technik (RRT) und der Item-Count-Technik (ICT), verglichen. Die RRTund die ICT wurden für die Messung besonders heikler Verhaltensweisen entwickelt und sollen durch eine Erhöhung der Anonymität in der Interviewsituation sozial erwünschtes Antwortverhalten reduzieren. Unsere Befunde zeigen, dass die häufig angenommene Wirkung der beiden Spezialtechniken auf die Bereitschaft der Befragten, sozial unerwünschtes Verhalten zu berichten, nicht eindeutig ausfällt. Zudem werden theoretisch bedeutsame Einflussfaktoren von Schwarzarbeit diskutiert und deren Wirkung im Rahmen von multiplen Regressionsanalysen empirisch überprüft. Neben Gelegenheitsstrukturen sind vor allem soziale Normen gute Prädiktoren für die individuelle Entscheidung schwarzzuarbeiten., This article explores methods used to obtain a higher validity in estimates of the prevalence of undeclared work in Germany in surveys within the general population. Using an experimental design two “dejeopardizing” techniques are compared as alternatives to direct questioning when asking sensitive questions: the randomized response technique (RRT) and the item count technique (ICT). These techniques were specifically developed to reduce misreporting on sensitive topics: The goal is to elicit a higher proportion of honest answers from respondents by increasing the anonymity of the question-and-answer process. Our results suggest that neither RRT nor ICT provide unambiguous results with respect to more successful elicitation of reports of socially undesirable behavior. In addition, the theoretically significant influence of background variables is investigated empirically by means of multiple regression. Factors which foster illicit work are, aside from opportunity structures, social norms, which contribute significantly to the explanation of individual decisions to engage in undeclared work.

Research shows that antisocial behavior and learning are negatively related whereas prosocial behavior and learning are positively related, but evidence on how the social dynamics in class influence learning attitudes is non-existent. We were interested in tracking unsystematic differences in learning attitudes on a class level and how they relate to social impact based on dominance or social status. 1,159 pupils from 43 7th to 9th grade classrooms filled in a questionnaire on learning attitudes (TPB, Ajzen, 1991) and nominated their classmates on participant roles in bullying, resource control strategies, and social status. Based on hierarchical linear modeling we analyzed whether and how specific pupils influence the learning attitude of their classmates. Results show that the average learning attitude in class can be predicted by the most dominant individual. Nearly 9% of variance in individual learning attitude can be explained by group effects. The learning attitude of the individual identified highest on coercive and prosocial strategies and on social impact predicts 77% of the respective group variance. Educational implications need to focus on the psychological relevance of dominant children that may impede the developmentally appropriate progress of each individual in their classroom.

Peer relationships are diverse in the sense that their degree of obligation, their intensity, their stability and even their number of participants vary. At the same time they have effects on the intraindividual and interindividual development of children and adolescents who tend to value them highly. Sociometric peer nominations provide one way of describing the complexity of peer relationships and of analyzing their various determinants. Peers are sources of information in the context of a defined system like a classroom in school. The consistency of this information (how many children like A and how many children like B), its reciprocity, and its stability are structural parameters that--in concert with other psychological constructs--may provide valuable cues and predictions about the optimal conditions for a positive peer socialization. The present article attempts to use these structural elements as the point of departure by navigating through the complexity, in order to delineate existing knowledge before the background of open questions and important question marks.

Those, who bully others, are prone to be characterized as "aggressive", "antisocial", and "without empathy" by their teachers: the standard view on aggressive children. However, are these qualities a bully could gain dominance from? With this study we aim to examine the characteristics of "effective" bullies. To this end, we gathered sociometric data on participant roles (Salmivalli, Lagerspetz, Björkqvist, Ostermann, Kaukiainen, 1996), resource-control strategies (Hawley, 2003) and social status (Coie, Dodge, Coppotelli, 1982; Cillessen u. Mayeux, 2004) from 2,600 pupils (54 % male), first to tenth grade in primary and secondary schools in and around Munich. Bullies in primary school extensively used coercive strategies, while those who bully individual peers in secondary school combined the extensive use of coercive strategies with a comparable amount of prosocial strategies. In consequence, they control most of the material and social resources in the classroom. When bistrategics were compared with those, who only use coercive strategies, the two groups differed in resource control as well as in status. Bullies identified as bistrategics were high on perceived popularity, but that is--other than in primary school--attributed to the coercives in secondary school, too. Implications on how to recognize an effective bully are discussed in order to make sure that victims receive effective support.

Our contribution focuses on the question of how aging subjects experience and interpret biographic transitions into old age - specifically against the background of the current sociodiscursive revaluation of the so-called young old. The results of our qualitative interviews with elderly men and women in Germany indicate that the self-description "young elderly" does not play a role in identity-building in higher age, although norms of "active" or "productive aging" are widely accepted by the elderly. On the other hand, notions of "very old age" in need of care appear as something that can barely be integrated into the self-concepts and life plans of the interviewees. The transition from adulthood into the "third" (i.e., old age) stage is, thus, subjectively being postponed by elderly people into the (imagined) very last stage of their lives.

Old age is nowadays defined as very old and people are characterized by illness, degeneration and health costs. Ethics in this case have to be healthcare ethics, which accept the challenge to lead people in old age through the healthcare point of view and demonstrate how to integrate their wisdom into culture and society.

In this study we examine the reliability and validity of students' self-reports about bullying and victimization in schools. 208 5th class students of four "middle schools" in Southern Germany filled in the Bully-Victim-Questionnaire (Olweus, 1989, adapted by Lösel, Bliesener, Averbeck, 1997) and the School Climate Survey (Brockenborough, 2001) to assess the prevalence of bullying/victimization, and to evaluate attitudes towards aggression and support for victims. By using reliability and validity criteria, one third (31%) of the questionnaires was classified as "unreliable/invalid". Mean comparisons of the "unreliable/invalid" group and the "valid" group of the subscales concerning bullying/victimization found significant differences. The "unreliable/invalid" group stated higher values of bullying and victimization. Based on the "unreliable/invalid" questionnaires more students could be identified as bullies/victims or bully-victims. The prevalence of bullying/victimization in the whole sample was reduced if "unreliable/invalid" questionnaires were excluded. The results are discussed in the framework of theories about the presentation of the self ("impression management', "social desirability") and systematic response patterns ("extreme response bias").

This study aimes to investigate if bully-victim status types differ in coping with interpersonal stressors, psychological adjustment, and strain state among male pupils. In total, N=207 sixth to ninth graders (aged 10 to 16 years) were asked to complete self-report measures, which assessed experiences with bullying and victimization, coping strategies, externalizing and internalizing problems, and strain. Overall, bully/victims showed the worst psychosocial functioning. Victims were characterized by a mixed pattern of maladaptive coping as well as anger control and internalizing problems. In contrast, bullies scored low on maladaptive coping and high on externalizing problems. Results suggest preventive interventions, which must be tailored to special needs of the groups regularly involved in bullying and victimization.

Dentistry has evolved from a genuine medical practice to a mere business. From an ethical point of view it is asked whether this evolution creates more problems than it solves. The paper elaborates four arguments against this evolution and shows that aesthetics in dentistry which works only according to market categories runs the risk of loosing the view for the real need of patients. Dentistry which comprehends itself as part of a market will be nothing else than a part of a beauty industry which has the only aim to sell something, but not the aim to help people. Such a dentistry makes profit from the ideology of a society which serves only vanity, youthfulness and personal success and which is losing the sight for real values. The real value of man cannot be reduced to his appearance and medicine as an art should feel the obligation to resist these modern ideologies and should help people to get a more authentic attitude to themselves. If modern dentistry fails to think about these implications it will lose its identity as medicine, which would be too great a loss.

The observer version of the Attachment Q-Set (AQS) is considered to be a valid instrument for the assessment of infant attachment security while it is unclear which variables are measured by its mother version. Since there are only few studies so far who evaluate both versions concerning more than one aspect of validity, this was the aim of the present study. Furthermore it was searched for variables which moderate the correspondence of both versions. In a sample of 64 mother child dyads attachment security was assessed at the childrens' age of 18 months in the Strange Situation Test (SST) and at the age of 30 months via AQS in both the observer and the mother version. Maternal sensitivity which is hypothesised in attachment theory to be related to attachment security was estimated in order to test validity. The mothers' tendency to describe her child in a social desired way was investigated via questionnaire. To summarize validity can be stated for both versions of the AQS since both correlate significantly with maternal sensitivity. However only the observer version of AQS was associated with SST classifications and can therefore be considered to reach validity. Mother and observer version corresponded better in the case of girls respectively when the mothers' social desirability response bias was low.

There are indications of a link between right-wing extremist orientation and attitudes towards people with mental illnesses. Social distance is used to investigate this.In 2002, a representative survey was conducted among the German adult population (n = 2089). Social distance was measured using a question from the European values surveys. Right-wing extremist attitudes were measured with a scale developed by Niedermayer and Faller.Only a marginal link between right-wing extremism and social distance towards people with mental illnesses was found which, moreover, showed an inconsistent pattern.It would be premature to conclude from this "negative" finding that a right-wing extremist orientation has no influence on the attitude towards people with mental illnesses, especially in the light of only one form of discrimination being investigated here.

This study examines the extent of self-reported pain and psychological distress in chronic pain patients and the influence of social desirability on the data collected.In a cross-sectional multi-center study with 494 chronic pain patients, a pain questionnaire was used similar to the German Federal Health Survey of 1998. Depression and anxiety were measured with the German version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-D) and social desirability with the German Marlowe-Crowne short scale for the measurement of social desirability (KS-SE).Chronic pain patients reported stronger and more frequent pain, as well as higher psychological distress than the general population of Germany. Of the patients, 36.4% showed depression (HADS-D/Dor =9) and 31.4% anxiety (HADS-D/Aor =11). Depressed/anxious patients stated pain intensities higher than non-depressed/non-anxious patients. In all, 48.4% of the patients achieved social desirability levels in the marked or moderate range. There were positive correlations for social desirability with self-reported pain and the use of therapy, as well as age. A negative correlation was found between anxiety and social desirability, while for depression this interaction appeared only after partial correlation analysis with control of pain and therapy variables.Both psychological distress and social desirability are common in chronic pain patients. Patients with high scores for social desirability reveal less depression and anxiety. The psychological distress caused by pain seems to be expressed by somatic complaints and therapy seeking. Since pain research is strongly dependent on the patient's self-report, social desirability should be considered as a factor which may impact measurements and decisions.